Airline pilot allowed to make anonymous racist statement

It is understandable that transportation officials would be on high alert for Islamic terrorists following the death of Osama bin Laden earlier this month, but a sign that vigilance can turn to racism, even among the most skilled and educated people in the world, came this week when a commercial airline pilot refused to take off with two Muslim religious leaders aboard.The two Muslim men, Masudur Rahman and Mohamed Zaghloul, of Indian and Egyption descent, were ironically on their way to a conference about prejudice against Muslims when they were told to disembark. They were reportedly wearing traditional religious clothing and had been screened twice before getting on board Southeast Airlines flight 5452 from Memphis, Tenn., to Charlotte, N.C. Southeast is a division of Delta Airlines.After beginning taxiing toward the runway, the pilot, whose name has not been identified, reportedly turned the plane back to the airport and demanded Rahman and Zagloul get off the plane. The men were screened again and cleared for takeoff, but the pilot still refused to allow them aboard and took off without them.Delta employees were reportedly “very apologetic — even angry — and said they tried repeatedly to convince the pilot that he was wrong,” but that wasn’t enough to change his mind. It is clear that employees of the airline tried to reason with the pilot, but he stuck with his decision to make a statement of ignorance and racism. Disappointingly, news outlets across the country have been all too happy to announce the names of the victims, Rahman and Zagloul, in this case, but not one has reported the name of the pilot who felt it was important enough to turn an ordinary flight into an international incident. By not releasing the pilot’s name, Delta Airlines and national news media outlets are now complicit in the suggestion that the pilot might be in some danger other than being outed as a racist — and, by association, perpetuating the notion that all Muslims are dangerous.If the pilot of flight 5452 felt it was so important to make his intolerant statement to the world, the least we should be allowed is to know his name, if only to avoid future delays by skipping his flights. In the meantime, Delta Airlines has what looks like an expensive lawsuit coming around the corner. Hopefully that will come under consideration when determining this employee’s future.